Google Gavelled: Jury Orders $425 Million Payout Over Privacy Breach
A federal jury in San Francisco has ruled that Google continued collecting user data even after users turned off tracking features, ordering the Alphabet-owned company to pay nearly $425 million in damages, Reuters reported.
The case centered on Google’s Web & App Activity setting, where users were assured that data collection would stop once the feature was disabled. In practice, however, the company allegedly continued collecting, storing, and using information from mobile devices over an eight-year period.
Plaintiffs sought more than $31 billion in damages, but the jury found Google liable on two counts without determining the company had acted willfully or maliciously. As a result, no additional punitive damages were imposed.
Google has announced plans to appeal. Company spokesperson José Castañeda stated, “This decision misrepresents our technology. We provide users with control over their data and respect their choices.”
Filed in 2020, the lawsuit claimed nearly 98 million users and 174 million devices were affected. Previously, Google settled a $1.4 billion case in Texas over allegations of violating privacy laws.
